Guide
Starting a Portable Restroom Business
Starting a portable restroom business turns on three things: a service truck, unit inventory, and a disposal agreement with a licensed receiving site. Route density decides the economics, because a truck servicing 30 units in one area beats the same truck covering 30 miles between stops.
The three things you cannot start without
A service truck
A vacuum tank, pump and freshwater tank. This is the largest single capital item and the constraint on how many units one route can carry.
Unit inventory
Standard units first, then ADA and deluxe as demand appears. ADA units are required in every cluster, so you need them earlier than you would think.
A disposal agreement
Access to a licensed septage receiving station or treatment plant permitted to accept the waste. Without one there is no business.
Licensing
Requirements are set at state and local level rather than federally. Check with the state environmental agency before buying anything.
Why route density is the whole game
Revenue per unit is roughly fixed: $125 to $325 a month for a standard placement. Cost per unit is not. A truck servicing 30 units clustered in one area covers them in a morning. The same 30 units spread across a county take two days and twice the fuel. Density, not headline price, is what makes the route profitable.
What the rules require of your customers
Knowing this is a sales advantage, because most buyers do not.
29 CFR 1926.51(c)(1)
One facility for 20 or fewer employees. One toilet seat and one urinal per 40 workers at 20 or more. One toilet seat and one urinal per 50 workers at 200 or more.
Federal, so the count is the same in every state.
2010 ADA Standards, section 213.2, Exception 4
Where multiple single user portable toilet or bathing units are clustered at a single location, no more than 5 percent of the toilet units and bathing units at each cluster shall be required to comply with 603.
In practice, at least one accessible unit wherever units are grouped.
Sources: 29 CFR 1926.51(c)(1) and (c)(2), OSHA. 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design, sections 213.2 and 304.3.1, US Department of Justice.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to start?
The service truck is the dominant capital item, followed by unit inventory. We have no verified figures to publish for either, so none are shown here.
Do I need a license?
Requirements are set at state and local level rather than federally, and septage hauling in particular is permitted by state environmental agencies. Check before buying.
What margin do units earn?
Revenue per standard placement is $125 to $325 a month. Profit depends almost entirely on how many units a single truck route can service in a day.
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